Improvement in bicycles



2 Sheets- 811a 1.

S. SAWYER. Bicycle.

Patented Dec. 9, 1879.

fuzzy- ".PETERS. FHOTO-LIYNOGRAFHEH, WASHINGTON. D C.

2 Sheets8heet 2.

S. SAWYER.

' Bicycle. No. 222,537. Pa tented Dec. 9, 1879.

mess as InvenZor,

Nv PETERS. PHOTDLITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D C

.level roads than upon up-grades. rotation of the driving-cranks of the ordinary PATEiiT OFIGE.

SYLVESTEB 'SAWYER, OF GARDNER, MASSACHUSETTS.

l M PROVEM ENT IN BICYCLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 222,537, dated December 9, 1879; application filed September 29, 1879.

.Gommonwealth of Massachusetts, have.in-

vented an Improvement in Bicycles, of which I the following is a specification.

The improvement in the art of manufacturin g bicycles has resulted in the production of a machine so well constructed, organized, and

arranged that very little power is required to propel it, much less, of course, upon smooth The rate of bicycle upon level roads, however, cannot Well be increased beyond acertain extent, for obvious reasons, and the rate of speed is therefore limited. In ascendinggrades the rate of rotation of the cranks is much less than on level roads, but more power is required. Therefore the range in the amount of power employed in driving bicycles of ordinary construction depends entirely upon the nature of the road, and consequently is very great, and

it is not always used to the best advantage, owing to the fact that the rates of rotation of the cranks and driving-wheel are the same. It is desirable, therefore, that some provision be supplied the machine whereby, in traversring level country, the speed of the machine may be increased without increasing the rate of rotation of thecranksover thatcommonly employed in the ordinary machine, and in traversing a hilly country the speed of the machinemay be diminished, While the same rate of rotation-of the cranks is maintained and. greater power obtained; and my invention relates to means for increasing or decreasing the rate of rotation of the driving-wheel of a. bicycle, as compared with that of the cranks, by a train of multiplying and reducing gear-wheels, or either, adapted to be connected with the crank-shaft and the drivingwheel, the multiplying-gear being arranged upon one side and the reducing-gear upon the other side thereof in such a manner as to be easily connected or disconnected with the crank-shaft and .(lrivingwheel.

. It further relates to means for lengthening the distance between the center of the drivingwheel and that of the trailing-wheel in such a manner that the saddle is automatically moved backward and the liability of a header in descending steep grades diminished.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in explaining the nature of my invention, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bicycle. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the head. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section of the same. Fig. 4 illustrates, in elevation, the multiplying-gear, its arrangement in relation to the crank-shaft, and means for moving the same vertically in rclationthereto. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical central section of the portion of the bicycle embracing the multiplying and reducing-gears, the crank-shaft and connections. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the bi cycle. Fig. 7 is aview representing, in eleva tion, the reducing-gear and clutch mechanism for locking the driving-wheel to the crank shaft. reducing-gear. Fig.9 represents the eccen tric shaft and lever employed for raising and lowering the multiplying or reducing gear wheels in relation to the gears on the crankshaft and drivingwheel. Fig. 10 is a horizontal central section, illustrating the .method of increasing the distance between the centers of the driving and trailing wheels, by which the saddle is automatically moved backward.

The bicycle is provided with the cranks A, shaft or axle B, forks O O, driving-wheel D, backbone E, the small trailing-wheelF, saddle G, and steering-handle H, as in the ordinary machine, with the exception that the drivingwheel is free to revolve on the shaft or axle.

The bearings given the axle or shaft in the forks, the connections between the cranks and shaft,'and other details in construction may be the same as now employed.

The driving-wheel may be provided with a ball, cone, roll, or any other suitable anti-fric- .tion bearing, and it is desirable that the hearing shall be as long as possible to prevent the wabbliug of the driving-wheel on the axle or shaft. The axle or shaft carries upon one side of the driving-wheel the gear-Wheel a, which constitutes one of a train of multiplying-gear, and upon the other side the gear-wheel a, which is. one of the train of reducing-gear. The driving-wheel is provided upon the side of the hub opposing the gear-wheel a with the Fig. 8 is an elevation of the train of train of reducing-gear, and they are arranged upon an eccentric-shaft, a", which has abearing in the fork U and bracket 0 above the shaft or axle, and are provided with a vertical movement in relation to the gear-wheels a a of their train by means of a lever, a, rigidly secured to the shaft a.

It will therefore be observed that the complete train of multiplying-gear consists in the gear-wheel a, which is secured to the shaft to revolve therewith, and which operates the driving-wheel by means of the gear-wheels at 0, upon the eccentric-shaft and the gear-wheel a upon the driving-wheel, and that the train of reducing-gear consists in the gear-wheel a, which revolves with the crank or axle, the intermediary gear-wheels a a upon the eccentric-shaft, and the gear-wheel a" upon the driving-wheel.

It will further be observed that when it is desired to use either set of gears the intermediary gear-wheels are caused to mesh with the gear-wheels on the shaft or axle and driving-wheel by being moved vertically toward them. Of course, when one set of gearing is in use the other is stationary. They cannot both be used at the same time, and for this reason I do not confine myself to the use of both the multiplying and reducing gears in one machine, but may use either one, as may be desired.

As it may be essential in some instances to dispense entirely with the multiplying or reducing gear, Ihave provided a construction whereby the driving-wheel may be fastened to revolve with the shaft. This is effected by means of a clutch, L, which consists ofa collar, on, havinga bearing upon the hub mot' either of the gear-wheels which are fastened to the shaft, or upon the shaft,or upon an y suitable sleeve, to have a movement to and from the hub of the driving-wheel. This collar is provided with the pins m, which project through the holes in the gear-wheel adjacent, and are arranged to close into the holes 112 in the gear-wheel on the driving-wheel, or in the hub of the driving-wheel itself, as the case may be. The collar is provided with a lateral movement by means of the lever m, which is pivoted at m to one of the forks, and which is furnished with a yoke consisting of the arms m, which fit in the groove m" on the edge of the collar m. A clutch of any other desirable construction may be employed for locking the drivingwheel to the shaft or axle, or gear-wheel upon the shaft or axle, in bicycles having this improved construction.

The means employed for increasing the distance between the centers of the two wheels consist in the box N, which is pivoted in the head of the machine, so that the forks and front wheel may be turned in steering, and the neck n, which is pivoted at a to the box, and is provided with the extension at, which projects upwardly therefrom, and through which the eccentric-shaft n passes. This shaft has suitable hearings in the box N, and is partially revolved by means of the curved arm or ring a, or in any other desirable manner.

In operation, the partial revolution of the shaft causes the eccentric to draw the extension 12 forward in relation to the box N, thereby causing the wheel G to. move backwardly a slight distance. The difference in the position of the two wheels, forks, backbone, and saddle before and after this adjustment is shown in full and dotted outlines in Fig. 1.

This Iastmamed improvement is adapted for use particularly in descending grades, where the saddle is thrown somewhat forward from its usual position, owing to the trailing-wheel being somewhat higher in relation to the driving-wheel than when running on level ground, and it is desirable on this account to'lengthen the base of the machine, as it were, and to cause the saddle to automatically assume a position a little back of the center of the driving-wheel.

The gear-wheels, shafts, bracket, lever, and such connections as may be desirable for attaching either the multiplying or reducing gear to the machine should be made of steel, in order that as little weight may be added to the entire weight of the bicycle as possible, while a strong construction is provided for.

1 do not confine myself to the use of the multiplying and reducing gear herein described and the means for connecting and disconnecting it with the actuating-shaft and drivingwheel to bicycles, but may use them, or either of them, in any machine propelled by foot power or hand in which it is desirable to provide an effieient, simple, and positive means for varying the rate of rotation of the drivingwheel as compared with that of the actuatin g-shaft.

Of course, it will readily be seen that the rate of rotation of the driving-wheel as compared with that of the crank depends upon the proportion which the gear-wheels of the multiplying or reducing train bear to each other, and that by increasing or decreasing the size of the gear-wheels the rate of rotation may be increased or diminished, as desired.

The advantages of my invention consist, principally, in the employment of the power used in driving the bicycle to its best advantage, so that with a given amount of power-- perhaps a little greater than that employed in driving an ordinary bicycle at average speed upon a level road-the rate of speed may be considerably increased without increasing the number of revolutions of the crank, while, with the same rate of crank-revolution in ascend- 'ing a grade, the same degree of power may be utilized with greater effect than a greater amount of power with the ordinary bicycle by decreasing the rate of revolution of the driving wheel as compared with that of the cranks.v

I am aware that it is not new to interpose a train of multiplying or reducing gear between one part of a machine and another to increase or decrease the ratio or extent of movement or revolution of the two parts, for

such a use of multiplying and reducing gear is very common, and is found in clocks and watches, and in Patents No. 111,644, granted Charles W. Hermance, February 7, 1871, No. 170,605, granted November 30, 1875, to W. Tucker,and No. 194,87 0, granted Hancock, September 4, 1877; but I am not aware that in a vehicle having one driving-wheel adapted to .ent of the UnitedS'tates- 1. In a bicycle, as a means for increasing or decreasing the rate of rotation of. the drivingwheel as compared with that. of the drivingeranks, a train of gear-wheels, the first of which is secured to an axle or shaftnpon which the driving-wheel revolves, and; which connects the cranks, and the last of which is secured to the hub of the driving-wheel, and two intermediate gear-wheels, adapted to. engage with the first and lastof the train and to transmit power from the cranks tofthe driving-wheel, the said intermediate gear-wheels being supported upon a short shaft having: bearings in one of the forks and in. abracket depending therefrom, substantially as and for the purposes described. j p

2. In a bicycle, the combination of the driving-wheel, arranged to revolve freely on the axle or shaft, adapted to be rotated by cranks operated by the feet, and provided with a gearwheel, constituting the last of-a-traiu of multiplying or reducing gear, the said shaft or axle provided wit-h a gear-wheel, constituting f the first of a train of multiplying or reducin g gear, two intermediary gear-wheels, adapted to transmit power from the gear-wheel upon the shaft to that upon the driving-wheel, and the forks G O, brackets c c, or either, and the shaft supporting said intermediate gear, and having a bearing in one of the forks and its depending bracket, all arranged to operate substantially as described.

3. In a bicycle, the combination of a driving gear-wheel fastened to the shaft or axle, adapted to be revolved by cranks operated by the feet, and a driven gear-wheel fastened to a driving-wheel adapted to revolve freely on said shaft or axle, the intermediate powertransmitting gear-wheels arranged upon an eccentric-shaft having a bearing in one of the forks O (3 and its depending bracket, and adapted to be moved to and from said driving and driven gear-wheels, and to mesh therewith, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a bicycle, as a means for adjusting the distance between the centers of the driving and trailing wheels, an eccentric arranged in a block in the head, to which the neck forming the end of the backbone ispivoted, and adapted to move the backbone upon said pivot, all substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. The combin ation, in a bicycle, of the block N, adapted to swing laterally in the head of the machine, the backbone E, provided with a neck pivoted to the block, as described, an eccentric having a bearing in the block, and arranged to effect by its rotation a movement of the backbone in the block, whereby the distance between the centers of the driving and trailing wheels may be adjusted, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In a bicycle in which the driving-wheel is free to revolve upon the shaft or axle, the combination of the shaft or axle, the drivingwheel, and a clutch adapted to lock said driving-wheel to, the shaft or axle, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. In a bicycle, the combination of the cranks A, adapted to be operated by the feet, a train of reducing or multiplying gear mounted upon a shaft having a bearing in either of the forks of the machine, and in a bracket projecting therefrom and interposed between either of the cranks and the driving-wheel D, and connecting the same with said wheel,-the said driving-wheel, and the forks O 0, all arranged to operate substantially as and'for the purposes described.

' SYLVESTER SAWYER.

Witnesses:

E. Hown, S. O. YOUNG. 

